


Let Me Be Your Eyes

by LeoVixx



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blind Character, Eventual Smut, M/M, Slow Burn, Torture, Violence, klangst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-06 23:50:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11046909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeoVixx/pseuds/LeoVixx
Summary: Keith has been made blind by Haggar's magic after he was captured by the Galra. Team Voltron managed to save him from his captors, but they are unsure how to bring back his sight. The healing pods have failed and they don't know how to work magic. Maybe they can find others who can help.





	1. What My Eyes Can See

The insistent beeping of her laptop drew Pidge from her light slumber. She groaned as she forced her eyes open, slowing blinking away the blurriness and then glaring at her laptop as if it would suddenly stop its whining. The words “data on search subject found” blink on her screen in sync with the beeping and Pidge's eyes widened. She shot forward, her tiredness forgotten. Finally, finally, she might actually have found some concrete leads that would help her find Matt. God, she desperately hoped this time would be the time. She was tired of have her hopes rise when she thought she’d found something only for it to wind up being an old trail or completely false information. But this time, it was looking promising. Her fingers flew over the keys, her eyes flittering around the screen as she double and triple checked the data. She had to be absolutely sure. Then, her hands stilled and a wide grin slowly spread across her face. This time, it was legit.

~*~

“And you’re one hundred percent sure that this source is real and can be trusted?” Shiro asked, _again_. His brow was drawn together in worry and his lips pursed in thought.

Pidge huffed and she threw her hands up in the air in frustration, glancing in Keith’s direction as she did so, silently begging him to have her back. If anyone could convince Shiro to ease up on the questions and just accept that Pidge knew what she was doing, it would be Keith.

Removing himself from the wall he’d been leaning against as Pidge had explained to the team what she’d found last night, he moved to Shirl’s side, placing a calming hand on his shoulder and said, “She’s already explained this twice, Shiro. I’m pretty sure she’s done her homework and she knows what she's doing.”

“Yeah,” Hunk add from his place beside Pidge. “Pidge is, like, the smartest of us all. If she says she’s sure, then we just gotta trust her. Besides, have you ever known her to be wrong?” He places a hand on her shoulder and smiles down at her. This was why she liked Hunk, he always gave people the benefit of the doubt and trusted them whole-heartedly, at least until they proved they were unworthy of that trust. Pidge planned to never let that happen. She always wanted to be worthy of not just Hunk’s but everyone’s trust.

Shiro stared her down, his face saying he was contemplating what Hunk and Keith had said, and weighing their options, trying to decide whether they were safe or not. One wrong move, one hasty decision could mean the end of them, the end of Voltron, and the end of everything they held dear.

It was Allura who finally managed to convince their leader. She pointed out that she had taken the liberty to check up on Pidge’s source, just to be sure, and she too, came to the conclusion that it was trustworthy. Besides, reuniting Pidge with her family was well worth the risk.

Hearing this, Shiro agreed, and they began to work out a game plan.

Pidge’s source had stated that a Galra base, not too far from their current location, held information on the rebel group that had rescued Matt, as well as the most likely places said rebels could be found. Using the green lion, since it was the only one equipped with a cloaking device, the paladins would slip into the base, Keith and Lance would head down to the lower levels to download prisoner information that was kept in a closed server near the cells. Pidge, Hunk, and Shiro would go up to the main control room and download any data they could find on the rebels. They agreed to meet back up at the green lion in exactly one Varga. No more, no less.

“This plan is risky, but if everything goes as planned, we should be in and out without the need for much fighting.” Shiro said.

Keith frowned. He had a feeling in his gut that something, somewhere was going to go wrong with this plan. “If everything goes as planned. When does anything ever go as planned?”

~*~

Turns out, Keith’s gut had been right. No sooner had Keith and Lance started downloading their data from the server, they heard Allura speak over the coms, her voice held the slight undertone of panic. “Paladins, get out of there. It’s a trap.”

Keith stiffened and glanced back at Lance to see he had a slightly worried, slightly confused look on his face that probably matched his own. “Allura?” He whispered as he glanced back out into the hall. He’d taken the job of keeping watch while Lance kept an eye on the download status. “What’s going on? What do you mean it’s a trap?”

“Yeah,” Lance agreed. “We didn’t even run into a single sentry on the way down here. How is this a trap?”

Keith felt his blood run cold as Lance spoke. They never ran into a single guard, not a one, on their way down here. That in and of itself was strange. Even if this was a small base, with no real importance to the empire, it should still have at least some guards. Allura’s next words set his heart racing.

“We just picked up the presence of nearly a hundred Galra ships headed in our direction. You need to get back to the castle, now, so we can retreat and regroup.” Allura’s voice held all the command of someone worthy of being a leader. Her tone gave no room for argument, but Keith could hear the slight tremor in her words. She was scared.

Keith spun around, grabbing ahold of Lance and dragging him from the room, ignoring the sounds of his protests demanding they go back and at least wait for the download to be finished. For Pidge. Lance struggled in his grasp and finally managed to wrench his arm free. He stopped in the hall, glaring at Keith and rubbed his sore wrist.

Keith seethed. They didn’t have time for this. “Listen. We needed to go, _now._ Chances are, that if this is a trap, we’re gonna have a crap ton of guards on us at any second. And a trap isn’t gonna hold any useful information in it anyways. If it’s not a trap, then we can come back another time and get the data, but we _need_ to get back to the lion.”

Lance sighed, gave one final glance back towards the server room, and sprinted past Keith, drawing his bayard as he went. They moved quickly, but carefully, steadily making their way back up towards the green lion. They checked in with the others on the way and were told that they too were headed back to the lion to rendezvous. They raced down the hallway, listening for the sound of sentries or other guards. Nothing, just the sound of their panting breathes and their own feet as they ran. As the seconds ticked by, Keith started to wonder if the base was completely empty. As the turned the corner, they learned that the base was definitely _not_ empty.

Keith, who’d overtaken Lance a few corridors back, charged around the corner and skidded to a halt. He stumbled forward as Lance slammed into his back, but he stayed on his feet. He heard Lance groan and swear behind him, but paid it no mind. He was preoccupied with how his heart was suddenly pounding away in his chest and his gut felt like it had slivers of ice in it. He was frozen, frozen in shock as he stared down three of Haggar’s druids and at least thirty armed sentries that were behind them, blocking Lance and Keith’s only way of escape.

Lance’s complaining died down as he finally registered what was standing in front of them. Keith chanced a glance over his shoulder and saw that Lance had pulled his bayard up and was leveling it one of the druids. His face was stony and gave nothing away, but Keith noticed the ever so slight shaking of his riffle tip. Lance was scared.

Keith took as deep breath as he glared at the enemies in front of them. He slowly shifted into a defensive crouch and waited. He knew making the first move in this situation would be a big mistake. More than likely as soon as he got anywhere near one of those druids, the other two would surround him. Waiting for them to come to him was a much better option. It gave both he and Lance a better chance at surviving.

The middle druid laughed, it sounded like gravel rubbing together and Keith felt a shiver run down his spine. With the masks they wore, Keith sometimes forgot that these _things_ that did Haggar’s bidding weren’t human. But the way they talked and the magic they worked were clear indications that they were definitely not human. They were aliens, monsters that tortured and killed people. They were the ones that took Shiro’s arm from him. Keith hated them and he felt that anger bubble up in his gut, replacing the icy fear, and his muscles tightened in anticipation. He was ready.

The druid to the right disappeared in a puff of smoke and then materialized next to Lance. He ducked out of the way just in time as the druid swiped at his face with its glowing claws. Keith lunged at the druid, bringing his sword forward in an attempt to stab it. Just before the blade reached it, it teleported away. The hairs on the back of Keith’s neck rose and almost without conscious thought, he turned around, parrying another blow from a druid.

He heard Lance’s voice yell over the coms, begging Pidge to find them a different route to the lion. He fired off shot after shot at the sentries that came near. Most, as Keith saw as he swung at a druid that had popped up at his left, were holding back. More than likely to stay out of the druids’ way as they fought. Pidge’s voice crackled over the coms, giving them directions for a way around. It would cause them to double back, but it was better than trying to force their way through here.

Keith kicked at one of the druids on his right as he slashed at the one in front of him. When they materialized a little ways away, he spun and hauled ass down the corridor. He heard Lance’s riffle fire off a few more shots behind him and then the sound of his boots slapping the floor as he raced to catch up with Keith. The shot down one corridor, then the next, Pidge’s voice constantly giving them directions as they went. Keith could tell that the sentries were giving chase, but it sounded as if they were slowly losing them. As long as they didn’t have to slow down for anything, they’d be fine.

Unfortunately, something always has to slow them down. As they rounded another corner, Keith saw a very large door standing in their way. “Pidge,” He panted as he came to a stop in front of the door. He glanced back. All he saw was Lance, doubled over at the knees. No sentries, yet. “We’ve got a door in our way. I don’t see an access pad. Can you open it?”

“Yeah. Give me ten ticks.” He heard her say.

Lance, finally having caught his breath, straightened up, gave the door a quick once over, and turned his back to it. He pointed his bayard down the corridor. He planned to shoot anything that came around that corner before it had a chance to get anywhere near them.

The sound of sentries reached Keith’s ears followed by the sight of one as it turned the corner. It fell to the ground with a clatter as Lance’s riffle shit a hole right through its torso. More sentries came around the corner and Lance shot at them all. One by one, they fell, but as more and more kept coming, Keith knew eventually one would slip past. He was ready with his own bayard when that happened.

A hiss from the door drew Keith’s attention. The door was opening, but slowly. He called to Lance diving through the door as soon as it was wide enough. He turned and saw Lance was blasting away at sentries and hadn’t notice the druid that materialized behind him. Keith shouted Lance’s name, charging back through the door, but he was too late. The druid’s claws raked down Lance’s back, ripping though armor and flesh. Keith heard Lance cry out in pain as he dropped his bayard, his body following it to the floor. Keith slashed at the druid, dived through the smoke it left behind as it disappeared. He grabbed Lance, slinging one arm over his shoulder and lifting him off the ground. As he rose, he grabbed Lance’s bayard and hurried through the door as quickly as he could.

“Pidge! Close the door! Close it now!” He yelled as he practically dragged Lance down the corridor. Lance was trying to help as best he could, but the pain and shock were weighing down his consciousness, threatening to make him pass out. The door groaned as it shut, crushing a few sentries as it did, but several managed to pass through before it had closed and they were giving chase. Keith cursed. Stupid slow ass door.

They rounded one last corner and entered the hanger where the green lion was waiting. He saw its eyes glow green as he assumed Pidge started her up. Her mouth was still open, Hunk and Shiro standing within it, waving their arms in the universal sign meaning “hurry up”. Keith redoubled his efforts, literally dragging Lance as he nearly jogged towards the lion. He could hear the sentries right behind them, even over the loud hum of the lion’s engines as they started up.

They were so close, just a few more steps and they’d be safe. Keith’s heart clenched as he felt a hand grab ahold of him. No, he couldn’t let the Galra have them both. Lance would never survive, not with his wounds. He made a split-second decision. He threw Lance at Hunk, putting all his body weight behind it. He watched as Hunk caught Lance, stumbling back and nearly falling causing Shiro to have to catch them. Another hand grabbed Keith, but all he saw was Shiro’s face morph into horror as he realized what Keith had done. He saw Shiro shout his name, but he couldn’t hear him, not over the sound of Green’s engines as she took off.

He smiled as he watched the green lion streak away from the base. They were safe. Lance would be okay once they got him into a healing pod. Then they’d be back for him. He had faith that his team would rescue him. That was what they did after all, rescue people. Even though he knew they’d come back for him, he still couldn’t help the painful squeeze his heart gave as he watched the green lion fly away, leaving him behind. He’d done it for them and he didn’t regret his choice, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t scared.

“Hurry back.” He whispered to himself a moment before a powerful blow to the back of his head dropped him into darkness.


	2. All the Possibilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team manages to find Keith and rescue him from his captors, but the Keith they get back is not the same Keith they lost. Haggar's magic prevents Keith from seeing, effectively crippling Voltron. But, luckily, the Castle has some useful records that will lead the team to a solution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long getting out. I had 3/4 of this written and then I hit a major block. But, I got 'er done. Let the Klangst begin.

Painfully cold darkness. That was all Keith had known for days? Weeks? It was hard to tell anymore. The only way to keep track of the passage of time in the black, inky darkness that had become his world was by how many times Haggar or her druids came to, in a gentler way to put it, … visit him. Those were the times he dreaded, because even though they brought him sustenance occasionally, in strange pouches very similar to the juice packs back on the castle of lions, but with no taste, more often the only thing they brought him was pain, seemingly unending pain.

Sometimes, when he managed to slip deep enough into sleep to dream, he would see his team, but they would have their backs to him. They would laugh, smile, and talk, but without him. He wasn’t needed anymore. Someone else, someone without a face, had taken his place as the red paladin. That stranger would be standing by Shiro’s side, making him smile and receive an encouraging pat on the back. The stranger would talk to Lance and Hunk and Pidge, and they would laugh. Then they would walk away, not once looking back, leaving him in the darkness, and he would wake. It was in the moments after waking from those dreams, that Keith felt the most hopeless. He felt as if his team would never come back to get him. That they’d given up on him.

But then he’d remind himself that they were a family, and the other paladins had managed to teach him anything about family in the time they’d been together, it was that family never gives up on each other. Shiro would never give up on him, just like how he never gave up on Shiro. They would come get him. He just had to be patient. He just had to be strong.

~*~

The sound of distant rumbling roused Keith from unconsciousness. He groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position, his back against the wall of his cell, and his bound hands resting in his lap. Everything hurt. He was pretty sure he’d lost a lot of blood from how his head pounded as if a hyped-up percussion band had decided to use his skull to practice on. He couldn’t really feel his hands and feet anymore, but that was probably from the beating he’d taken earlier. Haggar had shown him no mercy in her last visit.

The distant sounds of explosions drifted into his cell as more rumbling occurred. Keith’s heart leapt into his throat. That _had_ to be his team. They’d finally come for him. They’d get him out of this cold darkness. They’d make the pain stop. He didn’t have to wait anymore. He pressed his ear to the wall of his cell and listened as the sound of rumbling grew louder and closer. Then, all at once, all the noise stopped and Keith’s heart when from being lodged in his throat to plummeting to his stomach. What had happened? Why had the fighting stopped? Were the others alright? They couldn’t have been defeated. They were paladins of Voltron. They couldn’t just die. Not when he’d been so close to freedom. He couldn’t handle that kind of loss. It would kill him.

Keith pressed harder against the wall, straining his ears for any kind of noise, but all he could hear was the everyday sounds of the Galra ship, the hum of the engines, the swish of air as it passed in the vents, the stomping of boots and soldiers and sentries made their rounds… wait. Where was the sound of boots? That sound was missing, gone with the rumbling and explosions. Then he heard them. The sound of feet hitting the ground, but these feet were different. Lighter, more agile, and there was only two of them, if Keith was hearing things correctly, and they were coming closer as he listened. He pulled away from the wall as he heard the most wonderful noises coming from the other side of his cell door. The sound of Shiro and Lance’s voices as they spoke, to Pidge he assumed.

The was a beeping sound as the access pad of his cell accepted Shiro’s Galra hand and then a swooshing sound as the cell door slid open. Then silence, but not really silence. Keith could hear the sound of Shiro and Lance breathing, they both sounded slightly out of breath, as if they’d been running, but neither one of them said anything and they didn’t try to enter his cell. It must be too dark for them to see, Keith thought as he tried to push himself off the ground. He’d be wary of a pitch-black room too.

 The sound of movement seemed to spur Lance to speak. “Keith?” He called out hesitantly from the doorway.

“Who else?” Keith croaked back, his voice hoarse and cracking from all the screaming he’d been doing. He tried to sound irritated as if he wasn’t completely elated to see them, but even he could hear the happiness in his own voice. He cleared his throat and spoke again, this time his voice a little clearer. “Took you guys long enough.”

Hesitant feet edged into his cell. “Yeah, well. You’re not an easy guy to find. Your stupid mullet’s to blame somehow. I just know it.” Lance quipped back, but Keith could hear the smile in his voice. “This place is so dark, where the hell are you?”

Keith rattled his chains as answer and heard Lance swerve and shuffle his way towards him. Lance stopped once his feet brushed up against Keith’s knee and there was warmth all around him, enveloping him in a hug. Lance’s arms squeezed him tight, but even though is hurt slightly, the pressure pressing up against bruises and wounds, Keith didn’t really notice as he let himself enjoy the feeling and warmth of another person’s touch. He never knew he could miss the warmth of another person so much until this moment.

He felt a pressure building behind his eyes, but he held back the tears threatening to spill out through sheer force of will. He was _not_ going to cry in front of _Lance_ of all people.

He tried as best he could to reciprocate the hug, but with his hands bound all he could really do was awkwardly pat Lance’s arm, but Lance seemed to understand that that was his cue to let go. Lance released Keith from his embrace, and Keith tried not to pay attention to the way his heart squeezed in longing at the loss in contact. Lance, however, did not rise back up to his feet, like Keith thought he would. Instead, the blue paladin grasped one of Keith’s hands, causing him to jump at the unexpected contact, Lance’s hand shoot warmth up Keith’s arm even through the gloves of Lance’s armor. Lance’s hand travelled upwards, drifting over the manacles clasped around Keith’s wrist, before sliding along the chain until he reached the wall.

“Shiro. I’m gonna need your hand to cut Keith free from the wall.” Lance called.

Keith heard the sound of shuffling as Shiro cautiously made his way into the room. There was a bit of cursing when Shiro accidentally stepped on Lance’s leg, and then the sound of Shiro’s arm powering up. It was then that Keith began to feel fear again. He couldn’t see Shiro’s arm, even though he knew it should be the only thing in the room giving off light, but all he could still see was darkness. Then he thought, why couldn’t he see the doorway. There should be light in the corridor outside, so why couldn’t he see it? Keith could feel himself beginning to breathe faster as panic began to press in on him. He couldn’t see. Not a damn thing. Why? _Why?!_

“-ith! Keith!” The sound of Shiro’s voice jerked him from his panicking thoughts, the weight of Shiro’s hand on his shoulder grounding him. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain? Where does it hurt?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” He lied. They didn’t have time for him to be having a panic attack. They needed to leave. Before anyone showed up and tried to stop them. Before Haggar or her druids arrived and captured all three of them and Keith would have to live through that hell all over again. “Just get me out of here and I’ll be fine.”

The hand on his shoulder gave him a soft squeeze, giving him the strength he needed to finally rise to his feet. He didn’t have the strength to stay on them, however, but a firm, warm weight against his side prevented him from falling back onto the cold hardness of the cell floor. “Easy there, buddy. I’ve got you.” Lance whispered, his breath ghosting across Keith face, causing him to shiver.

The manacles around his wrist were gently and carefully cut away, and he rubbed them gratefully, encouraging blood to flow back into them. The weight against his side shifted and his arm was pulled securely across Lance’s shoulders. He was suddenly surrounded by the smell of Lance. He’d never really noticed how Lance seemed to have this underlying scent of the ocean, like he was standing at the water’s edge, he could smell the crisp saltiness of it emanating from Lance. It was a nice smell. It reminded Keith of Earth.  

They shuffled forward towards, what Keith assumed was, the door. They turned once they were in the hallway and hurried as best they could away from the cell, and Keith was glad. The going was slow, Keith didn’t have much strength in his legs, but he tried to help as best he could. He was suddenly hit with the realization that his and Lance’s role were now reversed. _He_ was the one injured and in need of saving and _Lance_ was the one carrying him to safety.

As they worked their way down the twisting hallways of the Galra ship, Keith could feel himself slowly starting to grow more and more tired. He was injured, malnourished, and probably in shock, and now that he was in safe company, even if they weren’t completely out of danger yet, he was slipping away. His feet, which weren’t very attentive when they first started walking, weren’t listening to him at all anymore, and Lance was more dragging him than anything.

“I’m sorry.” He said, his words slurring in exhaustion. He was so tired.

Lance must have understood what he meant because he said, “It’s okay, buddy. I’ve got you. You just rest. Shiro and I will make sure you get into a healing pod, safe and sound.”    

He nodded, no longer possessing the strength to speak. He’d just rest his eyes for a moment. Then he’d be okay enough to walk on his own. At least that’s what Keith’s exhaustion fogged mind told him, but as he slipped in and out of consciousness, he remembered feeling the calming, soothing energy of the blue lion surround him as they flew back to the castle. Then he could hear the sounds of voices. Coran and Allura’s. He couldn’t make out what exactly they were saying through the fog clouding his mind, but he knew they were worried. Then he felt a moment of cold and then he felt no more.

~*~

Keith would spend eighty vargas, or four quintants, in the healing pod. That was what Coran had told them all as he typed on the surface of Keith’s pod, setting it to heal and run tests on the amount of damage his body had suffered during his imprisonment. Keith had been in the hands of the Galra for nearly ten quintants. In that time, he’d suffered multiple contusions and lacerations. He was dehydrated and malnourished. And he’d lost a lot of blood. But all those things the healing pods could and would heal, with time. It was what they couldn’t heal, that had shocked the other paladins into silence.

“What do you mean, he’s _blind_?!” Lance snapped. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he knew deep down that what Coran was saying was true, even if he didn’t want to believe it. The way Keith hadn’t looked at him or Shiro directly, not once, while they were rescuing him had made warning bell go off in Lance’s head, but he’d chosen to ignore them. He thought that, no matter how bad the injuries were, as long as they weren’t life threatening, the healing pods would take care of it. That Keith would be okay. But that wasn’t the case. Lance felt cold and sick. This was all his fault.

Allura stared at him for a moment, saying nothing, her eyes filled with sorrow and understanding. She knew that Lance would be the most upset, because he believed Keith’s capture was his fault. It wasn’t and they all told him that many times, but even though he said he believed their words, no one believed him.

Shiro’s face was filled with so much fear and sadness that Lance thought he was going to either cry or be sick, but he did neither. “I’m sorry, I just don’t understand. Why can’t the pods fix whatever’s wrong with Keith’s eyes?”

Coran pulled up a diagram for them all to see. It was a picture of a humanoid body in a healing pod and even though the captions were in Altean, they understood what the diagram was explaining. “There are many things the healing pods can repair, but they are not perfect. They can’t grow back severed limbs.” Coran motioned towards Shiro and his prosthetic arm. “They cannot bring a person back from the dead.”

“And they cannot repair damage being done by an active curse.” Allura finished Coran’s explanation.

“Curse? What do you mean?” Hunk asked, his voice small and sad, but there was curiosity hidden behind his words and Lance saw Pidge’s eyes sparkling behind her glasses. They were always so ready to learn something new, to make the most of every situation, but all Lance wanted to do at that moment was crawl up under a rock somewhere and cry. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many rocks in space.

“A curse is a type of magic that continuously affects a victim, even if the caster is far away, or even in some cases, dead. Haggar laid a curse on Keith’s eyes, preventing them from taking in any light, leaving him in total darkness.” Allura elaborated, the words she spoke came out as if she wished more than anything she didn’t have to say them.

“So how do we fix it? I mean, there’s got to be a way to fix it, right? Keith can’t be blind forever, because that would be awful. The Galra can _not_ be _that_ evil, can they?” Hunk asked, his eyes flicking back and forth between Allura’s and Coran’s before they finally came to rest on Shiro, as if their leader would have all the answers.

Coran cleared his throat, drawing Hunk’s attention back to him. “There are only two ways to get rid of a curse. The caster removes the curse, or someone else as equally powerful works a special type of healing magic.”

Lance perked up when he heard this. “Great. So, where can we find someone who can work powerful healing magic?”

Allura and Coran shared a look that made fear slice through Lance’s heart. “We’re not sure.” Allura said after a momentary pause.

“But, there may be information in the castle’s records that could be of use. I’ll start looking through them right away.” Coran said making his way to the door.

“I’ll help you, Coran.” Pidge called, following him out the door.

Hunk rose and stretched. “I’m gonna go make us some food, because I don’t know about you guys, but I’m famished.”

“I’ll run some scans, we still need to be on the lookout for any Galra in the area.” Allura said as she too rose and left.

Shiro moved to stand in front of Keith’s pod. He stood there, gazing sadly at Keith, lost in his thoughts. Lance decided to leave without saying anything. He didn’t want to disturb. He wandered around the castle, trying to find something to do that would preoccupy his time and his mind. He couldn’t stop his thoughts from flashing back to Keith’s capture. He’d lost a lot of blood, so he didn’t remember much after that druid had made mincemeat out of his back, but he did remember Keith dragging him to the green lion and the expression on his face as Green’s jaw was closing. He was smiling, but his eyes were filled with so much sadness and longing, just remembering it made Lance’s heart squeeze painfully.

The smell of something burning reached Lance’s nose, jerking him from his thoughts. He raced down the hall to the kitchen, fearful that the castle was somehow malfunctioning again, and that the oven had burst into flames or something. He entered the kitchen and saw Hunk fanning desperately at a pile of charred remains of something on the floor. Lance grabbed a plate and joined Hunk in his fanning.

“Thanks.” Hunk said once the smoke had cleared. He leaned against the island and gave Lance a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“No problem. What was that?” Lance asked, pointing at the pile of charcoal.

“That _was_ going to be our lunch, but maybe we’ll just have food goo instead.”

“I’ve never known you to burn food before. What happened? Did something malfunction?”

Hunk shook his head. “The only thing not working right is my head. I was lost in my thoughts and wasn’t paying attention to the oven. Next thing I knew, the food is literally on fire.”

“You’re worried about Keith too.” What he said wasn’t a question. There was no denying the worry lining Hunk’s normally soft and gentle face.

Hunk nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I can’t help thinking that the curse is somehow our fault. That if we’d gotten there sooner, Haggar wouldn’t’ve had time to work her creepy magic and Keith would be okay. Well, as okay as he could be after spending several days in the hands of a genocidal race of aliens bent on ruling the universe. But at least he wouldn’t be blind.”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing. We took too long. I mean, who really knows what he went through in there?”

“Well. Aren’t you two a gloomy bunch of wargalnackers.” Coran spoke in his usual upbeat tone from the door, causing Lance and Hunk to jump.

“And why are you in such a good mood?” Lance asked a thread of hope forming in his heart.

“And what’s a warglenacker?” Hunk asked.

“Well, a warglenacker is a species of-” Coran began.

“We found something.” Pidge interrupted bring everyone’s attention to her. Lance hadn’t even noticed she’d been standing in the doorway next to Coran.

“Really?” Lance asked, that thread of hope morphing into a warm feeling that settled nicely in his stomach.

“Everyone’s meeting in the control room. We’ll explain there.” Pidge said before turning and walking away, the others following close behind her.

~*~

“The Sanatores Adunt are an ancient race of mystics capable for working some pretty strong healing magic. According to the castle’s archives, they can be found in the Stella Via Lactea star sector, which, by chance, isn’t too terribly far from our current location.” Coran explained, pulling up the archives for everyone to read even though it was all in Altean and therefore complete gibberish to everyone but Coran and Allura.

 “So, all we have to do is find these ancient mystics, convince them to heal Keith’s eyes, and we’ll be good? That sounds way too easy to me.” Pidge asked, a skeptical look on her face.

“Yeah, these records are ten thousand years old. For all we know, these people have been wiped out by the Galra by now. What are we gonna do then?” Hunk questioned.

“I don’t see how we have a choice in the matter. We _have_ to find them. For Keith. If they’re dead, killed by the Galra, then we’ll just have to figure something else out, but for right now, this is our best course of actions. I say we take it.” Shiro said. He made sure to make direct eye contact with everyone in the room as he spoke, making sure they understood just how serious he was.

Shiro’s eyes landed on Lance’s last and the paladin said nothing, merely nodding his head in agreement. They really didn’t have any other choice but to try to find these people. What Lance was worried about was what they would do when they got there and it turned out that the Galra had killed them. What would they do then? Were there other races out in the universe that could work similar healing magic? What if the mystics were alive but refused to heal Keith for some reason? There were so many what ifs and that scared Lance. But, dwelling on the “what ifs” wouldn’t help Keith any.

~*~

They had almost reached the Stella Via Lactea star sector by the time Keith awoke from his pod. Lance, who was the only one still awake, reached out and grabbed Keith by the shoulders as he stumbled out of the pod. His breathing was swift and shallow, and he didn’t open his eyes. He was scared. Terrified that when he opened his eyes, he would still be stuck in the blackness. That he’d still be back in that Galra ship, waiting for his usual visit from Hagar.

“Keith. Keith, open your eyes. It’ll be okay.” Lance urged softly. His hands squeezed his shoulders reassuringly.

Keith drew in a few deep breathes, drawing strength from the warmth of Lance’s hands on his shoulders, and then he slowly cracked his eyes open. A sob caught in his throat, the sound stabbing through Lance’s heart like a knife. Keith’s normally deep purple eyes were a pale glassy grey. “I can’t see you, Lance. I can’t see anything. Oh god. No.”

Tears began streaming freely down Keith face and he was shaking so terribly that if Lance let go, he would fall to the floor in a heap. A lump lodged itself in the back of Lance’s throat at the sight of Keith anguish. He’d never seen Keith look so broken, not even when they’d rescued him from the Galra. He’d been tired, haggard, and bloody when they’d found him, but he’d been strong and composed, as if everything he’d been through didn’t faze him in the slightest. This Keith in front of him was a Keith he’d never seen before. Keith was always this awesome guy who jumped first thought later. He was fearless, or at least that was the way Lance always saw him, even as far back as the Garrison. But, now he understood that even though Keith may have a hard exterior, he was human, with all the fears and difficulties that came with being human.

“It’s gonna be _okay_ , Keith, do you hear me? We found a solution. We’re gonna get your sight back. I promise.” Lance said as he pulled Keith into an embrace. He could feel heat creeping up his face as he felt Keith’s warmth press up against him, but this was what Keith needed, he could tell. He needed someone to grab onto and tell him everything was going to be okay. To not worry because they have a plan. And more importantly, he needed someone to hold his hand in the darkness so he’d know he’s not alone. That was what Lance decided, in that moment, as he held his weeping friend in his arms. He’d be Keith’s eyes until his own were working properly again.

They stayed like that, Keith cradled in Lance’s arms, for some time. The whole time, Lance quietly whispered soothing words to Keith, trying to slow the fall of tears and calm the shaking. Eventually, out of exhaustion, Keith’s sobbing quieted, his tears stopped, and he passed out in Lance’s arms. Lance then carried Keith back to his room and tucked him in. He went back to his own room to grab his pillow and a blanket and then settled down on the floor next to Keith’s bed. He didn’t think he’d be able to fall asleep, not with all the thoughts spinning around in his head, but eventually his eyes slipped closed and he fell into a dreamless sleep.

 

 


	3. Just Shut Up and Trust Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Planning and if you squint there's some Klance.

The next day came far too soon, in Lance’s opinion. Allura, her voice blaring throughout the castle, roused the paladins from their sleep only a few hours after Lance had managed to fall asleep. They would be entering the Stella Via Lectia star sector soon and she wanted everyone in the command center asap.

Lance groaned as he rose off the floor and stretched, his body aching from sleeping on the floor. He glanced over at Keith and saw that he hadn’t so much as stirred. Lance wasn’t surprised. He knew firsthand how tiring it is to be in the healing pods. They may be able to heal pretty much anything, but there would still be this bone deep ache and exhaustion that lingered for days afterwards that no amount of time in the pods could get rid of. Coran once told him that the pods repaired the damage, but the energy needed to heal came from the person, not the machine. The worse the damage, the more tired they would be when they emerged.

He contemplated, for a moment, just leaving Keith to rest while he went to the command center. Lance was sure that Keith would still be asleep by the time he returned, but then he thought about what would happen if Keith _did_ wake up while he was gone. To be alone, in the dark, not completely sure where he was or even what time it was. That would be terrifying.

 No, Lance decided, he’d take Keith with him. He’d be tired, but he’d probably be grateful for being included in whatever it was they were going to do.

Keith was laying on his stomach, his face smashed into the pillow, and Lance wondered how he hadn’t managed to suffocate himself while he slept. He gently grasped Keith’s shoulder and shook him, calling his name in a quiet voice. When Keith didn’t rouse, he applied a little more force to the shaking and raised his voice. Still, Keith didn’t wake. Eventually, Lance was shaking Keith so hard his head was wobbling back and forth on the pillow and he was practically yelling in Keith’s ear.

With a quick intake of breath, Keith jerk awake, flipping himself onto his side towards the wall and away from Lance. His breathing was erratic as he struggled to understand where he was and who was with him. The sounds around him made him think he was in the castle, the softness of the bed beneath him solidified that guess into certainty. The sound of breathing near his bed told him he hadn’t jerked awake from a nightmare, but he couldn’t tell who had woken him.

“Shiro?” He called out into the darkness.

A snort answered him in return. “Sorry no. It’s just me?” Lance said.

“Oh,” Keith said, unsure of what else to say. “Did you carry me back to my room?” He ran his hands along the blankets. Yep, this was definitely his bed.

“Yeah. No one else was awake when you came out of the pod.” Lance answered him. There was a rustling sound as Lance gathered up the blankets he’d slept on last night and deposited them into the corner of Keith’s room. He’d probably be sleeping on the floor again tonight. No reason to take his things all the way back to his room. “Allura wants us all to meet in the command center.”

“Why?” Keith asked, noting the rustling sound, but unsure as to what it might be.

“We think we may have found someone who can restore your sight. Or at least we hope.” Lance explained. He rummaged through Keith’s closet, pulling out clothes for him to wear and then placing them on the bed in front of Keith.

“Really? That’s great.” The sheer amount of relief that flowed through Keith’s voice at those words made Lance smile. Keith fumbled with the shirt on the bed. He was having a hard time figuring out where the bottom was. He sighed in frustration as he felt along the collar for a third time.

Lance gently tugged the shirt from Keith’s grasp. “Here, let me help. You take off what you’ve got on and I’ll hand you the clean stuff.”

A blush spread across Keith’s face, coloring it an attractive red, although Lance would never admit it to himself or others that he found blushing Keith attractive. It was only then that Lance realized how his words had sounded and he stammered out an apology.

“I’m okay. I can do it myself. Can you just give me a moment?” Keith mumbled down towards his bed, his face growing even redder.

Lance hesitated for a moment. “Sure.” He finally relented. “I’ll be outside. Just call when you’re finished.”

It took Keith quite a few moments to get dressed. Lance estimated he’d been standing in the hall for at least twenty minutes, trying his hardest not to laugh when he heard Keith cursing and grunting in frustration through the door. Finally, Keith called him back inside and he couldn’t stop a small chuckle from slipping out.

“What?” Keith snapped, his face reddening in anger this time instead of embarrassment.

“You’re shirt. It’s backwards. Doesn’t that feel weird?” Lance said between chuckles.

Keith’s gaze dropped back down towards the ground, his hair falling in front of his face. Lance wondered why he would block his view when he couldn’t even see, but then he realized, Keith wasn’t blocking his own view, he was blocking Lance’s. He didn’t want Lance to see him embarrassed. Now that was just adorable. He didn’t think before this moment, that anything Keith did was adorable, but there he was, standing in front of Lance, blushing away and Lance’s stomach was doing little summersaults at the sight.

“Not really. I was too busy trying not to put my pants on backwards.” Keith quietly admitted.

“Dude, you put your shirt on before your pants?”

“Yeah?”

Lance shook his head in mock disappointment that he immediately realized Keith couldn’t see and said. “That’s just weird. You’re not normal.” He made sure Keith could hear the amusement in his voice.

A snarky sneer spread across Keith’s face. “Really. So, you put your pants on first, huh. How boring.”

Lance gasped overdramatically. “Boring?! Why Keith, you offend me. Never in my life has anyone every called me boring. Charming, creative, handsome, but never _boring_.” He joked.

Keith laughed, his whole face lighting up as he did, and Lance had to look away for fear of his heart giving out with how hard it had started beating. God, when did Keith get to be so hot?  

“Thank you.” Keith said, his demeanor sobering suddenly.

“For what?”

“For being at least somewhat normal around me. For not… for not treating me like I’m suddenly made of glass since I’m blind.” Keith explained. Shadows danced in Keith’s vacant eyes, threatening to take over his face and his mood. He hated being weak and he hated being seen as weak even more. Keith tried hard to keep a wall between himself and the rest of the world. It just tended to be easier that way, but he cared about what those closest to him thought. Before he’d become a paladin, the only person’s opinion he cared about was Shiro’s, but now, he found that he genuinely cared about what everyone in the castle thought of him.

Lance slung an arm over Keith shoulder. He felt Keith tense slightly, but when the shorter man didn’t pull away, he left it there. “There’s nothing fragile about you, Keith Kogane. I’m pretty sure your head is made out of pure stone, so I’m not worried about you breaking over something like this.”

“Geeze, thanks.” Keith deadpanned, but inside happiness fluttered in his heart.

As he’d been struggling to dress himself earlier, he’d thought about how the team would treat him now that he was, more or less, useless to them. Would they ignore him, treat him like a piece of furniture, because that was essentially what he was now? Or would they baby him, worry about every little thing he did and want to do everything for him? Not that he wouldn’t be grateful for the offered help, but he’d rather at least _try_ to do things on his own. The more he could to do for himself, the less helpless he felt. Or would they be angry at him for allowing himself to end up the way he was? Would they blame him for effectively putting Voltron out of commission until they could either fix his eyes or find a new pilot for the red lion? That last thought filled him with dread, and even though he knew it was rather unlikely anyone on his team would react that way, he also couldn’t stand the thought of someone else piloting Red, even if it was for the sake of the entire universe. It was selfish, but he couldn’t help it. He was Red’s paladin, the red lion had accepted him, and he’d gone through hell to earn that acceptance. He wouldn’t give her up so easily. But, a small voice inside of him whispered, but what about the rest of your team? What about Shiro? Will you really leave them defenseless because you can’t accept the fact that someone else would be more suited to pilot red?

But Lance had come back in and treated him not normal exactly, normal would be making fun of him ceaselessly and goading him into anger for no better reason than because he wanted to, but pretty close to normal. No, Lance was being nice to him, but he was also joking with him and teasing him, and that did more to ease the fears in Keith’s heart than anything else Lance had said to him.

“Come on,” Lance said, taking a hold of Keith’s arm at the elbow and slowly guiding him towards the door. “The others have probably started without us by now.”

“Wait. My shirt.” Keith quickly spun his shirt around and they made their way out the door.

~*~

It took a while, but eventually they made it to the command center. They’d gone slowly, Lance guiding Keith in the right direction, quietly warning Keith about footing and stairs and turns, and Keith had shuffled forward, his hand outstretched to run along the wall, silently terrified that the next time he’d step forward there would be no ground beneath his feet and he’d fall. Lance had told him several times along the way that he had a good hold on his arm, that he wouldn’t let him fall. To just trust him, but when all Keith could see was darkness, it didn’t matter how much he trusted the other person, he was going to be scared.

Keith trusted Lance, they would never have been able to form Voltron if he didn’t, but there was a difference between trusting Lance to have his back in battle and trusting Lance to not get distracted and let him fall down a flight of stairs. That kind of trust would take time and Keith told him that in not so many words and Lance had understood. He’d grown up with several younger brothers and sisters. The one thing he was good at was taking care of others, and this was the one area where he had the patience to do so.

When the door to the command center hissed open and Lance guided Keith into his seat, he couldn’t’ve been more relieved. There was no chance he was gonna take a tumble down some stairs while seated. At least he didn’t think so. Pidge could probably think up some ridiculous scenario where he could fall down stair while sitting in a chair, but that would be a discussion for another time.

Keith’s and Lance’s entrance had halted the conversation the others had been having. They all crowded around the red paladin’s seat, sharing their joy and excitement at seeing Keith back up on his feet again. Their voices blended and morphed together into a menagerie of sounds and syllables that weren’t really words. Their tones told Keith that they were happy to see him, but he couldn’t understand a single thing any of them were saying. Without a face to focus on to go with the voice, he had no anchor, nothing to focus on. It was disorienting.

Lance caught the tensing of Keith’s shoulders and the clenching of his hands from where he stood next to Keith’s chair. “Okay, guys. Geeze, give the poor guy some space to breathe.” He placed a calming hand on Keith’s shoulder and as the others backed up and quieted down, he could feel the tension bleed out of Keith’s shoulders.

Shiro was the only one who didn’t take a step back. He stayed firmly rooted in front of Keith even when Lance gave him an inquisitive look. Seeing Keith sitting in front of him alive and healthy filed him with an unmeasurable amount of joy, but at the same time, seeing the grey, glassy vacancy in his eyes also filled him with guilt and sadness. If only they’d found him sooner.

“Stop brooding over the past, Shiro.” Keith said as he held out his hand, offering it for Shiro to take.

Shiro jumped slightly at Keith’s words and blushed. “How could you tell?” He grasped Keith’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Even your silences have a different sound. I could just tell that you were wallowing in what could’ve been done better. Just stop.” Keith’s brow furrowed and he glared in Shiro’s general direction. “We can’t change the past and I hate to tell you this, but Haggar took my sight from me on like the second day of my capture. No matter how quickly you might’ve found me, you wouldn’t’ve been able to save my sight.” Keith’s voice grew quieter and sadness cloaked his face. “It’s gone, Shiro, now we need to move on and figure out what to do next.”

Coran cleared his throat, bringing everyone’s attention to him. “Actually, Keith. While you were napping, we were busy coming up with ways to get your sight back.”

Hope sparkled in Keith’s eyes. “Really? Did you find a way?”

Coran nodded, his chest puffing with pride. “Yes, in fact, we did. Number five and I scoured the castle’s archives for hours and we managed to find some useful information. Pidge, if you will.”

Pidge pulled up a hologram of all the data they’d managed to find on the Sanatores Adunt and their planet. She then explained to Keith what Allura and Coran had explained to them about curses and why the healing pod hadn’t repaired his eyesight. She then went on to explain to everyone the general facts of the healers. With that info swirling around in everyone’s brains, they began to think up a plan.

“Alright, so basically what you’re saying is, we take Keith down to their planet and just _ask_ them to help us. What if they say no? What if they’re hostile? What if they’re working for the Galra? Keith’s blind. He’s not gonna be able to defend himself.” Lance snapped, pointing a finger at Keith, who had grown tired of sitting in his chair and was currently lounging on the floor in from of it, his arms sprawled out and his legs flung up onto the seat.

“Hey, I’m not some helpless damsel in distress. I can take care of myself.” Keith snapped, climbing to his feet and glaring in the direction Lance’s voice had come from, which was not where Lance was anymore.

Lance had stealthily maneuvered to stand behind Keith as he’d talked, using Keith’s outburst as a way to cover the sound of his approach. He then proceeded to softly kick Keith in the ass and then duck out of the way as Keith jerked around and swung a right hook at empty air.

“Yeah, I think not. If you can’t even hit _me_ of all people, you’re definitely not ready to take on a Galra soldier.” Lance said with only a slight hint of condescension in his voice.

Keith huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. The last thing he ever wanted was to become a liability or a nuisance to his team, but here he was, unable to punch _Lance_ of all people in the face. In fact, he wasn’t even sure he could get back to his room without help. He’d been on the castle long enough that he no longer got lost, but as he and Lance had been making their way up to the command center, he’d realized just how much he’d relied on sight to navigate. If Lance hadn’t been there, he definitely would’ve gotten lost. He couldn’t tell how much distance he’d travelled nor how much more he had left, and that was for a single hallway. And that wasn’t even taking into consideration the stairs he’d have to climb down. He hated being helpless, but as he was, there was nothing he could do about it.

A hand landed on his shoulder. It was hard and room temperature; it belonged to Shiro. “Don’t worry so much about the what if’s, Lance. We’ll check the planet out from the castle before we even head down to the surface and after we’ve made certain there are no Galra around, we’ll greet the locals. Keith will stay in the pod, with you, until we’re certain they mean us no harm.” Keith could hear the sincerity in Shiro’s voice. He really wanted to appease Lance’s fears and it reminded Keith once again why they all chose to follow Shiro.

“Yeah, well, I still don’t like it.” Lance grumbled to himself, his voice low enough that the others couldn’t hear it, but Keith heard. He thought, in that moment, how strange his and Lance’s relationship had become. Normally, Lance would see any sign of weakness on Keith’s part as a chance to poke fun at him. The jokes, as Keith had come to understand, were mostly just a way for Lance to convey his feelings without having to use actual words. It had been infuriating and nerve wracking at the time and he would retaliate, lashing out with harsh words and cold glares. But, somewhere along the way on this crazy quest to save the universe, he’d grown used to Lance’s strange way of communicating and now, as he sat and listened to the others plan, he realized that he _almost_ missed the jokes and snide remarks. They were normal and all Keith wanted were for things to go back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out, but I made up for the long wait by making the chapter twice as long as the last one.... which is probably why it took so long, but let's not think about that. Next chapter you'll get to finally meet the Sanatores Adunt and there will be some actual plot development!   
> Let me know what you think. I love hearing your thoughts. You guys have some really interesting ideas.  
> Updates have been tentatively set for once a month, but I've never been able to keep to a schedule before, so we'll see. I'm gonna try my hardest to stick to it though. Wish me luck.


	4. Healing Takes Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang get help from the Sanatore Adunt. They manage to heal Keith's eyes, but the experience may cause Keith to develop a fear of drowning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the beginning of this chapter. I felt like it dragged and it probably doesn't flow very well, but I tried my best. I hope you like the second part, it was a lot of fun to write.  
> Classes have started up again so there's a pretty good chance the next few chapters will be a little late. Please be patient with me.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Drowning

The Sanatores Adunt lived on a very interesting planet from what Lance and Hunk described. It was about the same size as Earth, with a breathable atmosphere. Much of the planet was covered in a reddish brown colored rock. There was hardly any plant life to be seen. Only a few cactus like planets tried to sprout, daring to brave the desolate, unforgiving environment in their attempts to thrive.

They landed in a valley between two mountainous rock formations. Once the pod finally settled on the ground, Keith let up on the death grip he had on his seat, letting out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He loved flying; it was one of the few things he allowed himself to truly enjoy. But, being encased in a never-ending darkness suddenly made the idea of descending towards a planet from outer space extremely terrifying. God, was everything in his life going to be a continuous test of bravery for him now, or at least until his sight returned, if it ever returns?

A hand gently grabbed a hold of his elbow, pulling to his feet and out of the pod. As his feet touched the surface of the planet he made note of the feeling of the dirt under his boots. It had a sand like texture, slipping and sliding slightly as he stepped. Yet it was solid enough to form mountains. Strange. Hunk and Pidge were already discussing what was causing the distinct red color of the dirt, as they were guided to the entrance to the city, which was apparently under the mountains.

As they descended below ground, the air slowly grew cooler and moist. Keith was relieved to know they wouldn’t have to suffer in blistering temperatures while they tried to negotiate with these people.

Hunk and Pidge were chatting away with they’re guide, who politely answered all their questions, but who’s tone was slightly indifferent, as if they didn’t care for them to be in their city, but they were probably instructed to be sociable. They were the Defenders of the Universe after all.

The ground leveled off as they rounded one final bend and Keith heard the others’ quick intakes of breath. Lance’s hand on his arm tightened slightly and Keith stiffened. Was there danger? Was this in fact a trap, laid out by the Galra and they’d just walked right into the thick of it?

His face must have shown his apprehension and worry, because Lance patted his arm and whisper. “Don’t worry. We weren’t expecting the city to be quite so beautiful, is all. There’s nothing wrong.”

Keith let the tension drain out of his shoulders. “Is it really that pretty?” He whispered back, afraid to break whatever mood had settled over the group as they gazed upon the city.

“Yeah. There’s so many lights that from here it almost looks like a whole bunch of Christmas lights and there’s water literally everywhere. Once you get your sight back we’ll have to stop so you can see it.” Lance explained his tone awed.

Jealousy spiked hotly through Keith for a moment before he grabbed a hold of it and squashed it down. He really wanted to see something that pretty and Lance probably wasn’t doing the city any justice with the way he described it. Another reason why he wanted his sight back as soon as possible.

They continued on towards the center of the city where the capital building was located. For it being such a large city, Keith thought it would be a lot louder than it was. As they walked, he could hardly hear any voices and unlike a typical city on Earth, there was no sound of traffic. When he inquired as to why the city was so devoid of noise, the guide explained that they’re people were nocturnal and most would be asleep at this time of day. Which made total sense to Hunk and Pidge as they gushed over the logic of being active at night on such a hot and unforgiving planet.

The one sound that was ever present was the sound of running water. No matter where they went, Keith could always hear it. Either a fountain in a square, or a pond in a park, or the small river that ran through the center of the city, the bubbling sound of running water could always be heard. Lance was right, there was a lot of water. Which was good. When Hunk and Lance had told him that it looked like the whole planet was desert Keith had wondered how a civilization could survive for ten thousand years without water. Water was the one thing that everyone and everything in the universe seemed to need.

Finally, they reached the capital building and were quickly ushered inside where they were brought straight to meet the High Mystic. Showing up in the middle of this society’s sleep cycle gave them the perks of not having to wait to be seen.

As the group approached the throne that sat on a raised dais at the end of the room, Keith could hear how the clacking and scuffing of the boots resounded and echoed off the walls. The throne room was large with soaring ceilings. There was soft chattering coming from the sides so there must have been several people, probably attendants, who wanted to catch a glimpse for the famous Paladins of Voltron.

They halted a few feet from the dais and were instructed to bow. “Why have you come to our great city, Paladins?” The High Mystic asked. Her voice was soft and slightly raspy, possibly with age, but it carried throughout the room, and like all royalty, she spoke with confidence and conviction, even when asking a question.

Shiro stepped forward and bowed again. “We have come here because we have heard that your people are some of the best healers in the known universe-”

“We are the best.” The High Mystic interrupted. Her voice taking on a slightly tense tone. She obviously wouldn’t stand for her people to be belittled, even unknowingly.

“My apologies. We have heard you _are_ the best and we’ve come to ask for your help. One of our paladins has been cursed, he has been blinded and can no longer fly his lion. Can you heal him?”

The High Mystic rose elegantly from her throne and approached the group, her feet making hardly a sound as she walked. The only way Keith knew she was moving was the soft swooshing sound her gown made as she moved. She stopped in front of Keith, her eyes scanning, scrutinizing him. She said nothing as she reached forward and gently placed her fingers against Keith’s temples. Keith flinched slightly at the unexpected contact but did not pull away. She held her fingers against his head for a few more moments and then swiftly retreated back up to sit upon her throne.

“I _can_ heal him. That I have no doubt, but the question I have for you, Black Paladin, is _why_?”

“Why?” Shiro parroted.

“Why should I help you? What could I possibly gain?”

“You would be healing a Paladin of Voltron. Helping Voltron to get back on its feet and defeat Zarkon. What other reason do you need?” Lance snapped, his words practically dripping with contempt and anger.

“We have lived secluded and unnoticed by the Galra for millennia. Now, you come here, those who are hunter by Zarkon and his people and you very well may have brought the existence of my people to his attention. You ask _me_ what I need, but it is _you_ who need help, young one. It would be wise to not forget that.” The High Mystic snapped back, her tone leaving no room for argument.

“I understand that us coming here puts your people at risk, but you are our only hope. If Keith’s eyes are not healed, Voltron will be without its red lion. No red lion, no Voltron and without Voltron, there will be nothing to stand between Zarkon and total universal domination. Your people have managed to stay hidden this long, but for how much longer do you honestly think you can stay under the radar? Eventually, the Galra will find you. Help us. Heal our paladin and we will defeat Zarkon and then there will be no reason for you to hide anymore.” Shiro pleaded.

There was a moment of silence as the High Mystic contemplated Shiro’s words and then she sighed. “Very well. I will heal your paladin, but only if you agree to leave afterwards and only return once Zarkon and the Galra are no longer a threat to the universe.”

“I swear to you, High Mystic of the Sanatores Adunt, as the Black Paladin, leader of Voltron. That we will return only once Zarkon has been defeated and your people no longer need to hide.” Shiro said.

“Very well.” The High Mystic once again rose from her throne. “Follow me. I will lead you to the Pool of Healing.”

~*~

The way the High Mystic described the Healing Pool, Lance figured it would be really fancy with lots of ornate decorations. Possibly covered in precious stones or metals. After all, it _was_ the tool that these people used to accomplish great feats and were revered for their ability to heal. But, when they reached their destination, Lance was underwhelmed. It looked like any spring you’d find back on Earth really; a divot in the rocks where water rose and bubbled quietly. It didn’t even glow or anything cool like that. The only part of the pool that had been changed at all were the stairs on one side that lead down into it. They looked as if someone had just grabbed some big rocks from the surface and stacked them together to make stairs.

“The waters purifies quintessence and promotes healing. The Red Paladin will enter the pool, submerge himself in its waters, and the pool will do the rest.” The High Mystic said matter-of-factly, gesturing to the pool.

Lance gave her a doubtful look. His brow creasing slightly in confusion. “That’s it? Really?”

The High Mystic turned to him, staring at him long and hard before her gaze shifted to where Lance was firmly grasping Keith’s arm. Lance thought he saw her smirk for a moment, but then her calm and indifferent mask was back into place. “Of course, I have to activate the pool and specify how long it should work. Over exposure to the pool’s healing affects can cause the one submerged to go mad, or worse. But do not worry,” She added as the others tensed in apprehension. “I have used this Healing Pool for a _very_ long time. I’m well versed in the time it takes one to heal. I have never been off by even a tick before and I do not plan to start today. Now then, shall we begin? The sooner we get started, the sooner you can be gone from my planet.”

  “Let’s do this.” Keith said, resolution showing in his voice and body language. He took a hesitant step towards the sound of the High Mystic and Lance automatically readjusted his grip to begin leading him towards the pool.

“You will need to remove your jacket, boots, and other accessories you wish to stay dry. Normally, we would have you cleanse yourself in a separate pool before setting foot in this sacred water, but for the sake of time, we’ll forgo that.” The High Mystic said to Keith before stepping down into the pool herself and crossing over to the other side.

Lance watched her out of the corner of his eye as he helped Keith shed his jacket, boots, knife, and gloves. Once she reached the bottom step, the water only reached her waist, and since her and Keith were about the same height, Lance wasn’t worried about Keith having to try to swim while blind.

Once Keith finally had everything off, Lance maneuvered him over to the steps and helped him down into the water. The High Mystic held out her hand as Keith stepped off the last step and Lance begrudgingly placed Keith’s hand into hers before retreating out of the pool and joining his teammates.

“I will need you to lay down on your back, Paladin. I will assist you.” The High Mystic said.

Keith was ridged and stiff as he lay down in the water and at first, he kept sinking, but slowly the tension eased out of his body as he came to realize he wasn’t in any danger of drowning. Once he was finally floating on his back the High Mystic continued.

“For the pool to heal your eyes, you will have to fully submerge your face and open your eyes.”

“How long is he gonna have to be under the water?” Lance piped in nervously.

“Not long.” The High Mystic answered. She turned Keith until his head was directly in front of her waist and his feet facing away from her. She placed her hands on either side of his head and closed her eyes. “Curses are an easy thing to cure. Quintessence cleanses far faster than a physical wound takes to heal. Calm your fears. I have done this before.”

As she finished speaking, the water around Keith began to glow a vivid red. Keith took a deep breath and the High Mystic pushed his head under the water and once his entire body was completely submerged under the water she stepped back. She then raised her hands high and threw her head back as if she was addressing the sky. She opened her mouth and a deep resonating note slipped out from between her lips. The pool slowly grew in brightness and began to bubble. The note grew in volume and pitch and the bubbling increased with the note.

Lance could no longer make out the silhouette of Keith in all the bubbles and glowing. His heart stutter slightly in fear and he took a step forward, but Shiro’s hand on his should kept him from approaching any farther. When Lance looked back, he saw the worried and tense lines creasing his teammates faces. They were just as unsure as he was, but this was the only option they had. They couldn’t stop now, even if they wanted to.

He turned back to watch the High Mystic as she worked. He unconsciously kept time with the beats of his heart. Five beats. Ten beats. Surely it should be over by now. Keith couldn’t hold his breath very much longer, if he wasn’t already drowning. Lance was scared. His palms were sweating and his hands shaking. Never before had he ever felt so scared for the wellbeing of one of his teammates. Keith was different, somehow, but Lance would have to think about the implications to these thoughts later.

The bubbling was decreasing and the red light growing duller by the second even as the High Mystic sung higher and louder. Then, suddenly and without warning the note stopped and the pool grew eerily still. Lance waited several beats and when Keith didn’t resurface he raced forward and dove into the pool. Keith was limp and unresponsive as he pulled him over to the stairs and helped Shiro and Hunk pull him over the lip.

Lance unsteadily clambered out of the pool. He didn’t realize he was shaking until Hunk wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders, unafraid to get wet. They silently watched as Shiro administered CPR, quietly praying to whatever may be listening that Keith would be okay. That he would just _breath_ again. That he’d take a deep breath and open his eyes and see the relieved faces of his team.

Seconds ticked away and with every one that passed his heart rose farther and farther up his throat, threatening to choke him. Tear pricked at the corners of his eyes and he didn’t even bother to try to hold them back. He let them flow freely down his face. Keith was dead. In their haste to heal him, they’d gotten him killed. It was all their fault. These thoughts hit him like a freight train as he watched Shiro try to breathe life into Keith still form, the compressions doing nothing, and Lance’s legs gave out from underneath him. The only thing keeping him from collapsing down onto the cold, hard ground was Hunk as he wrapped his other arm around Lance’s waist and clutched him to his big, broad chest.

A sob crept its way up his throat, but the sound of Keith gasping and coughing as his lungs worked to dispel the water trapped in them caused his grief to fly out the proverbial window. He stood frozen in place for a moment as he stared wide eyed at the sight of Keith alive and breathing, clutching onto Shiro as he continued to cough. As Keith’s coughing slowly calmed and he was panting heavily rather than hacking his lungs up, Lance wobbled his way over to Keith’s side and knelt.

“Did it work?” He asked Shiro, his eyes shining with more unshed tears, these ones were from hope rather than grief.

Shiro wordlessly shook his head. They wouldn’t know until Keith was ready to open his eyes. For the moment he just held onto Shiro and breathed, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

“I may have forgotten to mention that the Healing Pool can cleanse his quintessence of the negative effects of the curse, but his eyesight will return much slower.” The High Mystic called as she gracefully climbed out of the pool.

Anger boiled sharply in Lance, threatening to over flow. The force in which it hit him would have shocked him under different circumstances, but at the moment his emotions were too wrung out and frayed thin for him to really care. “And did you also forget how long a person would be in the pool too? Keith nearly died. Drowned, while you were working your magic. I- We nearly lost a friend today and you’re just going to act like everything went according to plan?” Lance growled, his eyes glaring daggers at the High Mystics back as she approached one of her assistance who was holding a dry towel.

The High Mystic took the towel from the assistant, nodding her head and thanks, and turned to glare back at Lance, her eyes cold and uncaring. “I knew exactly how long your paladin would take to heal. What I did not know was that your species has tiny lungs, incapable of holding your breath for longer than a few ticks. Honestly, it’s a little pathetic.” Her tone was condescending, patronizing at best.

Lance made as if the approach her, but Shiro reached out and held his arm, much like Lance had been doing for Keith the past couple days. “We understand.” His tone was diplomatic and Lance’s barely contained rage began to surge again. How could Shiro be so calm? Out of everyone here, he had the most right to be furious. He was the closest to Keith, even as far back as the Garrison. Watching his friend drown couldn’t have been easy for him.

Lance understood, though, when he saw Shiro’s face. It was stony, cold, and closed off, but there was fire snapping in his eyes; a barely contained rage that threatened to boil over and make itself known. Shiro was their leader. It was his responsibility to make sure they all made it back home alive. They were on a planet that was friendly, but not all that welcoming and if they angered the High Mystic, that friendliness could easily turn to hostility. No one wanted a fight. Not with Keith still blind and probably in shock, if not suffering from brain damage. Who knows how long he was in the pool before he stopped breathing.

“There was no way you could have known that we, as humans, couldn’t hold our breath for as long as your people can.” Shiro continued. “That was our mistake, not yours, and we’re very grateful for the help you have given us. Thanks to you, Voltron will be able to fight again and we _will_ defeat Zarkon. You have my word.”

Shiro’s words seemed to placate the High Mystic. There was still a coldness to her voice when she spoke, but she didn’t glare. “Yes, well. Perhaps I should have asked such an important question before we began, but what has been done can never be undone. Your paladin is alive and in a few quintants he will see again.”

“How many? How many days- quintants before Keith can see again?” Lance asked, his voice coming out more tired and weary than he intended.

The High Mystic barely glanced in his direction before turning and walking away. She called over her shoulders, “The curse that was placed upon him was strong indeed. It will take longer for its effects to dissipate compared to others I have healed. I estimate about two Spicolian movements. No more than three at the most.”

“And if three have passed and he still can’t see?” Lance asked, his voice barely above a whisper. It was intended for himself really, he didn’t think the High Mystic could hear him on the other side of the room, but she shocked him by answering.

“Then his sight is lost for good. There is nothing more _my_ people can do for him. There may be others in the universe that will be able to offer assistance, but I know of none.” She turned then and Lance could’ve sworn her eyes were shining with sympathy. “I’m sorry there is nothing more that I can do for you. I wish you all the best of luck. May our next meeting be for happier reasons.” She then turned and walked away.

“Come one,” Shiro said, gather Keith up in his arms. His eyes were open and his breathing had calmed, but Lance could see that he was still shaking and his eyes were vacant and glassy. The one good thing that came from that pool was the fact that where Keith’s eyes had been a pale grey color before, there was now a more distinct hint of his regular violet color mixed in with the grey. Maybe his sight would return after all. All they could do now was hope and wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have lots of Klance in it. I'm super excited to write it. Please leave a comment, tell me what you like, what you didn't like, all that good stuff. You're feedback is what keeps me going.
> 
> Edit: (09/28/2017) So....... I have good news and bad news. The bad news is chapter 5 is going to be late. As of right now I've managed to write two sentences. Curse college and it taking up all my creative energy. Hopefully, I'll get chapter 5 written and posted by the end of next week. The good news is I've been writing up a plot outline for a new Voltron AU to start once I finish this one and it's about baseball! So, look forward to that.


	5. Don't Leave Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the healing pool and Keith makes a bad decision involving a shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long. This last semester was a busy one and then add on a good amount of writer's block and..... yeah, I didn't get much done until a couple weeks ago. I hope you enjoy.

Darkness. A never-ending darkness that swallowed everything. In it, not even Keith’s mind was safe. It would devour everything until he began to wonder if there had ever been anything before. Before the darkness. Before the Galra captured him. Before Haggar and her agonizing magic made him blind.

Those days, trapped in a cell, with no way to tell how much time had passed, or if his team managed to escape without any more serious injuries, was horrible for Keith. The time spent entirely in the dark was a special kind of torture, one that Keith always assumed he’d be able to withstand. He’d been fine all alone in the desert. It’d been a little lonesome, but Keith knew that being around other people would be just as uncomfortable. But, loneliness and darkness were two entirely separate things. Something that Keith learned all too quickly during his imprisonment. The sensory deprivation was the worst part. The darkness let his brain come up with all kinds of interesting ways to torture him. Making him believe he’d heard or felt things that weren’t there.

He’d thought he was over it. That, once he was back with his team, he’d no longer be afraid of the eternal darkness that surrounded him. That, if there were other people around, he wouldn’t feel alone. And for a while he had. He couldn’t forget the darkness, not when he constantly lived in it, but just like with that desert shack back on Earth, when his teammates were around he didn’t feel alone, or scared, or feel like he was going to forget everything, lose everything, to the darkness.

Stepping into that pool was a mistake. He didn’t really remember much after he went under the water, but he remembered the crushing darkness descend, if possible, to be even more dark and oppressive. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. Like he was drowning in the inky blackness and no matter how hard he’d tried, he couldn’t resurface. Hindsight made it clear that he had, in fact, been drowning for real and not in some metaphorical way inside his own mind, but at the time it didn’t matter. All he knew was that he was alone again, in the darkness, and in so much pain.

Eventually the pain had faded, as he realized was him slipping into unconsciousness, and the darkness receded back to manageable levels. He didn’t remember Lance diving in and pulling him out or Shiro giving him CPR. The ride back to the castle was also mostly a blur, but he could distinctly remember the feeling of Lance practically clutching him, his back to Lance’s chest as they sat on the floor of the pod. Lance had been so warm and soft. Just knowing that he was there helped keep the panic threatening to overwhelm him at any moment at bay. He was safe and hopefully the pool would work its miracle and, in a few weeks, he’d be able to see again, be able to fly again.

But now, in his room, dry and safe under the covers, more than just panic threatened to swallow him. The past was also rearing its ugly head, threatening to pull him under and make him relive those awful days with the Galra, with Haggar. He distantly wondered if this was how Shiro felt on a daily basis. Like every horrible thing he ever experience was surging through his head, demanding attention. 

“Here, water.” Lance said softly, his voice anchoring Keith, keeping him from being swept out into the churning sea of his own memories. A warm hand pressed against his back, urging him to sit up. A glass was pressed to his lips and he drank slowly and carefully, Lance helping to hold the cup to his lips since his hands were still shaking too hard to hold it on his own. He managed to drink about a third of the water before he had to turn his head away. He was thirsty, but the smell was causing his stomach to roll with unease. 

He felt the bed shift and heard the clink of a glass being placed down. Warm arms suddenly wrapped him up in an unexpected embrace and Keith tensed for a moment as his brain caught up with what was happening, then he felt himself relax. He was never a “hugging” kind of person. He never found himself ever really wanting or expecting people to hug him, at least not like Lance or Hunk, but with Lance’s arms around his shoulders, offering him strength without any words needing to be exchanged, Keith realized that a hug was exactly what he needed. 

Too soon though, Lance pulled away and rose from the bed. “I’m gonna go grab a change of clothes from my room.” Lance said, his footsteps drawing closer to the door and farther from Keith. Panic sliced icily through Keith’s stomach. He didn’t want to be alone, he thought even as he felt foolish and weak for thinking it. If Lance left, then he’d be forced to face the darkness and all the horrors that lay inside it. He wasn’t ready.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Keith found himself crawling to the edge of the bed and reaching out, out into the darkness, hoping against all odds that he’d manage to grab ahold of Lance. “Don’t,” He whispered quietly. “Please, don’t go.” 

Only silence answered him and he let his arm fall back onto the bed. What was he thinking anyways? Lance was only staying by his side out of a sense of duty or perhaps guilt. No one stayed for long, at least not because they wanted to. Everyone always left eventually, even – even Shiro. It was ridiculous to think that Lance would be any different. They were teammates and as long as Keith was the red paladin, it was the other paladins’ responsibilities to look after him. Nothing more. And even though Keith knew this, had known it for a long time, it didn’t keep the pain and loneliness from ripping at his heart and tears to well up, threatening to fall free. He let his head fall, his hair shifting to cover his face. He was ashamed to cry, even when he knew he was alone. 

Hands brushed his hair out of his face, wiping the tears from his cheeks and Keith stiffened. “I thought you went to get clothes.” He mumbled, shame heating his cheeks and he knew he had to be blushing all the way down to his neck.

He heard soft laughter as the bed dipped beside him again. “I was literally a step from the door when I turned around and saw you reaching out for me.” Lance said as he gently guided Keith’s head to rest upon his shoulder.

“Then why didn’t you say anything?” Keith felt familiar irritation swell within him and he welcomed it. Familiar was good, it was known territory. Unlike the feels swirling inside him now. These were new and he didn’t really know what to do with them, so he would ignore them for now.

Lance sighed. “I’ve seen it. The terror you’ve been trying to hide. And I know, that if I was in your shoes, I’d be scared out of my mind. But, you never say how you’re really feeling. You always have to be the tough, emo guy that no one can read. So, I knew, the only time I’d get to see how you’re really doing, was if you thought you were alone. I know, jerk move, but, Keith, I’m not going to think any less of you because you’re scared. What happened-what’s still happening to you is scary. I’d be more worried if you weren’t terrified.”

“Well, I’m happy that you’re glad I’m scared, I guess?” Keith made sure he layered the sarcasm on thickly.

Lance ruffled his hair. “You know what I mean. Let me in. You’re not alone, mullet.”

“It’s not a mullet.” Keith whispered, his voice straining from trying to hold back tears. He turned his face fully into Lance’s shoulder as he felt the first tears escape.

Long slightly calloused fingers combed gently through his hair, silently coaxing him to let go, to let all the pain and fear he’d barely been keeping at bay escape, and even though he was still slightly ashamed of the tears he shed, it also felt good to just let go. So that’s what he did. He sobbed into Lance’s shoulder until he couldn’t shed another tear and then he slipped into a deep restful sleep.

~*~

The steady, calming sound of a beating heart slowly drew Keith from sleep. He felt good, even though his eyes were crusty, and his nose was still tender from crying. He’d managed to sleep peacefully, without the interruption of nightmares and he felt well rested for the first time in movements. He stretched slowly, careful to not wake the body under his cheek and felt an arm unconsciously tighten around his shoulders. A sigh ruffled through the hair on the top of his head, but the beating under his ear didn’t change. Lance was still asleep.

Keith let out a sigh of his own. He desperately wanted to just stay like this forever, but he knew they had things they needed to do and eventually someone would come looking for them, and as comfortable as laying on Lance’s chest was, it’d be embarrassing to be found like this. So, he reached up, his hand gliding over a sharply protruding collarbone, up the gently curving of Lance’s throat and over his jaw. His fingers slipping slowly higher, secretly enjoying the feel of Lance’s skin under his fingers, until he dug his finger non-too-gently into Lance’s cheek.

The chest under his ear hitched. He felt more than heard Lance groan and the arm around his shoulder squeezed almost painfully tight before it slipped away. Keith sat up as he felt Lance stretch and he cringed when he heard several joints crack and pop.

“Good morning.” Lance said, the words slurring slightly from sleep.

“Morning.” Keith mumbled back.

“How did you sleep?” Lance asked as he climbed out of bed.

“Good.” Keith answered. Now that Lance is awake, that peacefulness that Keith had enjoyed slipped away, replaced by shyness and embarrassment. He’s unsure as to what he should be embarrassed about, only that he can feel heat building in his chest, threatening to rise to his cheeks and give away his feelings. He shifts so he’s facing away from where Lance is resting on the bed and nervously runs his fingers through his hair. He instantly regrets his decision when his fingers find knots and oil. He needs a shower, bad. 

“I’m – I’m going to take a shower.” Keith said as he carefully climbed out of bed.

“I’ll help you.” Lance said. He clambered out of bed after Keith and kicked aside the pieces of their paladin armor they’d removed last night and hadn’t bothered to clean up, clearing a path to the bathroom so Keith wouldn’t trip.

Keith trailed his hand along the wall until he felt the opening of the doorway to the bathroom, then he turned around. “I think I can handle showering on my own.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to fall.” Lance asked, the uncertainty clear in his voice.

Keith nodded. “I’m not going to fall. It’s only a couple feet from the doorway to the shower. Once inside, I don’t need to go anywhere else for a while. Even you could do it blind.” His tone and the small quirk of his lips making it clear that he’s joking.

“Okay. Fine. I’ll go get us some food.” Lance said begrudgingly and pulled Keith’s hand up and laid a tablet in his hand. “Take the tablet with you. I’ll have mine on me, so if you need help, call. Okay?”

Keith sighed, but shifted the tablet to his other hand. “Okay. Fine. Go.”

Keith waited until he heard the door shut before he deposited the tablet onto the bathroom counter. He honestly didn’t think he would need it for such a simple task. If he could at least shower without help, he’d feel he wasn’t completely helpless. Plus, Lance seeing him naked would only make what he’s been feeling even harder to discern. 

Getting into the shower turned out to be the easiest part. Find the opening and step inside, simple. Figuring out what product was meant to do what was nearly impossible. Alien shampoo and body wash came in the same shaped bottle and smelled exactly the same, but one made his hair a nightmare to tame for days afterwards. The body wash would draw nearly all the moisture out of his hair, causing it to frizz and tangle, an absolute nightmare. But after standing underneath the running water for several minutes and still being unable to make a clear distinction between the two, Keith resigned himself to his fifty-fifty chances and chose a bottle at random. He then set that bottle aside, so he knew which one it was for next time.

Keith lathered, rinsed and cleaned like usual and the only problem he faced being dropping a bottle once and having to feel around on the floor for it, he figured nothing bad would happen after all. He was, in fact, very wrong. Getting into the shower was easier than getting back out. Keith couldn’t find the latch that would pop open the door to the shower and as he continued to feel around without finding anything he grew more frantic. The last thing he wanted was for Lance to come back and find him stuck in the shower all because he couldn’t find the damn latch.

His hand finally skimmed over an indent and he jerked his hand to the side, expecting the door to slide open. When it didn’t, his foot slipped on the wet floor and he went crashing to the ground, his head smacking off something hard, the wall, the floor, or something else entirely, he didn’t know. The last thing he thought before he slipped into unconsciousness was that Lance was not gonna be happy when he came back.

~*~

Lance fumbled the tray in his arms, nearly dropping it as he tried to open Keith’s bedroom door. He wished he remember to grab one of the floating trays on his way out, but he’d been in such a hurry he’d forgotten. The door finally opened with a whoosh and Lance set the tray of food on Keith’s bed before he dropped it all over the floor, calling out to Keith as he did so.

When he heard no reply, he paused and listened more closely. There was no sound of running water, so either Keith was done showering or hadn’t started yet. He called out again and when he still didn’t get an answer he hurried into the bathroom, his heart shooting up into his throat at what he found.

“Keith!”

Keith didn’t rise from where he was crumpled on the floor of the shower. Lance rushed forward, jerking the shower door open, but pausing when he wasn’t sure if Keith should be moved. If he fell on his neck, moving him would be a very bad idea. He glanced around, eyes finding Keith’s pad sitting on the bathroom counter. He lunged for it and called Coran.

“Hello, Number 3. What can I do for you?” Coran cheerfully asked.

“Coran! Keith’s fallen and he’s not moving!”

“Oh dear. Where are you? I’m on my way.”

“We’re in Keith’s room. Hurry, Coran.”

“Lance. I need you to stay calm. Do you see any blood? Is he bleeding from anywhere?”

“I don’t think so, but I can’t be sure with the way he’s lying. It’s hard to see his head since he’s facing away from me.”

“You didn’t move him?”

“No. I didn’t think that would be a good idea.”

“Good job, lad. You did well. I’m almost there, just rounding the corner now. I’ll be there in two ticks.”

“Coran?” 

“Yes, Lance?”

“What if this makes things worse? What if whatever the healing pool did to him won’t work now?”

The sound of a door opening reached Lance’s ears. Footsteps hurried into the bathroom, where Coran paused, taking a moment to comprehend the situation. Coran crouched in the doorway of the shower before he quickly gathered Keith up into his arms. “Don’t say that. He’ll be just fine. We’ll pop him into a pod and he’ll be back up on his feet in no time. Can you grab something to cover him up? I don’t think Keith wants everyone to see him like this.”

“Okay,” Lance grabbed the blanket off Keith’s bed, laying it gently across Keith’s body, and followed Coran out the door towards the healing pods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO!!!!! I'm so excited!!!! This next one will come out a lot faster than this chapter did, hopefully. *Knocks on wood* I've always been pretty good at writing steamy scene and oh boy the next chapter have steam.
> 
> On another note, I have fallen into the Star Trek fandom. That's right, I'm a Trekkie. So expect to see some Star Trek fanfics being posted soon!
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me.


End file.
